Adjustable backing for rail braces



F. RAPP. ADJUSTABLE BACKING FOR RAIL BRACES.

AP PL|CATION FILED JULY 2,1921.

Patented; Aug. 22, 1 922.

FRED RAPE, 131 WEST ALBANY, NEW? YORK.

ADJUSTABLE BACKING FOR RAIL BRACES.

Application filed July 2, 1921.

T 0 0H 10710721426 may concern Be it known that l, Faun Rare, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at /Vest Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New lfilork, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Adustable Ba kings for Rail Braces. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for providing an adjustable backing for rail braces, such as are commonly used on. railroads, particularly at or near the points of interlocking switches.

Numerous adjustable rail supports have been devised, but all are either complicated, expensive, or cumbersome, some of them combining all. of these objectlons.

The particular objects of my invention are to provide simple and efficient means for "backing the usual rail brace and to provide adjustment in such means whereby the wear on such braces may be taken up; and which may be applied to present equipment without material change in the tie plates now in use.

l accomplish my object by means of an adjustable butt-strap illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which Fig. l is a plan view showing my improved butt-strap in position behind a rail brace.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the under side of the stationary member of adjustable butt-strap.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wedging member of my adjustable butt-strap,

The same numbers refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: 2, represents a railroad tie, and 3, the usual metal tie plate on which the rail, 4, rests. The tie plate, 3, is held in place on the tie by lag screws or other suitable means.

The rail, 4. is braced. by the usual rail brace, 5, which is bolted to the tie plate by the bolts, 6, 6 A. lag screw. 7, passing through both the rail brace and tie plate, not only aids in holding the tie plate in position on the tie, but also aids in holding the rail brace in position on the tie plate and against the railv Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented An 22, 192%.,

Serial No. 482,126.

In ordinary practice, the rail brace is ba ked by a straight butt-strap riveted to the tie plate, and when it becomes necessary to take up wear on the rail brace and buttstrap, the rivets holding the butt-strap to the tie plate must be removed and the buttstrap replaced by one which is wider, or the old strap moved toward the rail brace a sufficient distance to make up the amount of wear. To make the latter change, it is necessary to plug the holes in the tie plate (or the buttstrap) and re-drill so as to bring the rivet holes into proper alignment when the strap is in the new position. Another plan sometimes used is, to move the whole tie plate and rail brace to a new position on the tie.

In place of the ordinary butt-strap, I use a stationary thrust resisting member, 8, rigidly fastened to the tie plate by the rivets, 9, in the usual manner.

The member, 8, has a thickness greater than the thicknessof the base of the usual rail brace, and the side adapted to lie next to the rail brace is notched out on an angle (as illustrated in the drawings) to provide space for the insertion of a wedge member, 10.

The wedge member, 10, is provided with series of openings, 11, 11, adapted to come into alignment with the opening, 12, in the stationary member. 8, so that when the wedge member, 10, reaches the proper point, a lag screw, 1 may be inserted through the opening, 12, and one of the openings, 11, and screwed into the tie, 2, to hold the wedge member in adjusted position. An opening must, of course, be provided through the tie plate to pass said lag screw.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An adjustable backing for rail-braces comprising a tie plate with openings therethrough; a thrust resisting member fixedly attached to said plate a side of said member notched to form a vertical surface at an angle across said plate and a horizontal surface parallel to but spaced from said plate and having a vertical opening through said member into said notch; a wedge member with a series of notches vertical therein and in line with the aforesaid vertical opening when a side of said Wedge member is in contact with the vertical angular surface of said thrust resisting member; and means adapted to pass through the vertical. opening in said thrust resisting member, one of the notches in the Wedge member, and an opening in said tie 'plate'and hold said FRED RAPP; 

